Wayne Allard: “I have just introduced a piece of legislation called the Public Land Fire Regulation Enforcement Act. I wish to spend a…”

“I have just introduced a piece of legislation called the Public Land Fire Regulation Enforcement Act. I wish to spend a moment talking about that. Mother Nature possesses a beauty like no other; this beauty sometimes allows us to forget the ferocious might that she can bring to bear. The tragic fires in California provide an all too real reminder of this. My thoughts and prayers are with folks in California, because it was not so long ago that Colorado found itself in a similar situation. Each year people out West live with the constant and growing threat of wildfire. In 2002, nearly 400,000 acres burned. Then Governor Bill Owens said that 'all of Colorado is burning'. Unfortunately, some folks--through ignorance, carelessness, or malice--ignore Federal guidelines and start fires during high risk times. In order to deter this action and provide an added measure of security Senator Salazar and I are introducing the Public Land Fire Regulations Enforcement Act. This bill will strengthen current law by increasing the penalties for individuals who disregard public safety and start fires during restricted times. It increases possible fines and doubles the maximum time violators could spend in jail. I hope that the fires burning in California are contained soon and that the damage is minimized as much as possible. I also hope that the legislation I introduce today will help prevent future catastrophic fires from being started.”